


nothing wakes you up, like waking up alone.

by autumnalhaze



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, F/M, For Alyssa, Post-Break Up, Romance, Song: Walls (Louis Tomlinson), happy birthday bestie, hope u enjoyed this hehe, im so bad at this, those are the tags i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:41:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28712190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/autumnalhaze/pseuds/autumnalhaze
Summary: "the day you walk away and took the higher ground, was the day that i became the man that i am now."(this event is entirely all part of my imagination and happened months after the ending of uc2, and just before uc3.)inspiration: walls (the single) by louis tomlinson-elena and nate reminisced the past of when things began to turn to shit for them.
Relationships: Nathan Drake/Elena Fisher
Kudos: 5





	nothing wakes you up, like waking up alone.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lastyearsmcdel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lastyearsmcdel/gifts).



> hiyaaa if you're alyssa and you're reading this, i hope you had a fantastic day! it's your birthday ahhhhhhhhh!!!! anyways, i decided i was actually gonna start writing something uncharted related, and what better way than to write a natelena fic as a birthday present for alyssa?
> 
> to alyssa, thank you so much for being my first friend on uc twt. you were so welcoming and friendly and oh my, you really made me stay full time on that part of twitter! i miss being chaotic with you on the tl, but it's okay, we have the dms, so now we won't end up on uc struggles and look like fools. i finally decided to get on with it after a long time, so here's the natelena fic i promised i was gonna write months ago. i hope you'll like it, and happy birthday again! you deserve all the best things in life <3
> 
> to everyone else reading this, i also hope you enjoyed it?? i don't think i've ever put my writing out there for any of you to see, so...it's kind of nerve wracking haha.

“Kid, wake up!” The gruff voice that could only belong to a certain Victor Sullivan startled Nate from his sleep, his heartbeat quickened as he tried to register where he was. Home. On his bed. He visibly relaxed his body at the realisation of being home, not in that horrible nightmare of him having to hide behind tall bushes and grasses from a mythical monster. Nate groaned at the thought of being woken up again, he knew Sully would always try his goddamned best to wake him at the early hours of the morning for a so-called productive day. He closed his eyes, hoping that sleep would catch up to him as he switched his position to snuggle back in bed with Elena. 

But he was welcomed with the cold sheets instead. Silly Nate, why was he still hung up on the idea of having her warm body beside him every morning? She’d left, and she’s never coming back. He needed to get used to the harsh fact that Elena was no longer here with him, it’s been three full days. Suddenly there was no point of going back to bed. Truly, nothing woke him up more than the fact that he was alone. 

“I made you breakfast, Nate. Better get to it before it turns cold.” 

A small ‘yes’ was his only reply. The young man stood up from his bed, and swiftly made his way over to the small cupboard opposite him. It was always a habit of him to prepare his clothes for the day before taking a shower. And as he rummaged through the seemingly empty cupboard, he sighed. Elena used to leave her clothes here, because she would always spend the night in the rented house him and Sully had been living in for years now. After their messy break-up, she’d pack up all of her things. There was nothing left in this house to remind him of her, except for maybe two of her clothing that had gotten mixed up with his. 

He knew the healthy thing to do was move on, get on with his usual life. Even Sully knew that was the sensible thing to do, often reminding Nate that what happened, happened. But no one knew just how badly it affected him. And it wasn’t so easy to let go. He loved her, and she loved him. It wasn’t just a fling or a short relationship, after all, this was their second chance at rekindling what they had. And it failed. Again. 

He didn’t know when it started to fall apart. But he had an inkling it happened the day he came back from his Mexico trip, all battered and bruised because he had so stupidly injured himself while on a hike. He’d fallen off the cliffs due to his carelessness. Thankfully, it was a short fall, and he didn’t break anything significant in his body. That didn’t mean Elena wasn’t pissed, though, she was so angry at him that she gave him the silent treatment for an entire day. Perhaps it was the last straw for her, because the next week, she told him that she couldn’t be with him any longer. 

-

They were at his place, enjoying a quiet night in with pizza delivered to his doorstep. Sully had excused himself, saying he was going to hang out with a few people of his age at the nearest bar. Nate was thankful that it was only the two of them, because he’d notice that his girl was being a little distant lately, and rarely spoke unless she was spoken to. He intended to find out the cause of this unusual behaviour that night, not knowing it was going to end up in flames.

“Nate,” She whispered in a low tone, while they were watching a random action movie. “I can’t…can’t do this anymore.” 

“What is it?” He inquired, his interest no longer on the movie. It seemed as if she was finally ready to be honest with him, so he turned off the television not a moment after her confession. “You know you can tell me anything, right?” 

A small sigh escaped her lips. This was the moment of truth. 

“I can’t pretend like I’m okay with everything. Because I’m not.” Elena started off, wondering how the hell to get to her main point before the water works would eventually come. “I know you love your job; you know I enjoy it too, but we can’t keep doing this.” She loved going on adventures with her boyfriend, she loved the thrill of it all. Solving hidden clues of the past, stumbling upon ancient treasures. But she was also a practical person, and it was high time someone admit the truth.

“What about my job?”

“It’s…it’s dangerous, Nate.” She said, her voice getting lower with every syllable. Her insides were boiling, because somehow, all the things she had rehearse earlier on seemed to disappear off the back of her head. “Everyday, I had to pray and hope you’ll make it back in one piece. Every day, I wished you didn’t have to risk your life…for what, a piece of gold?” 

Ouch. 

“Elena, I’m fine.” He answered, wrapping an arm around her waist because he knew she’d enjoy it. “You don’t have to worry about-”

“That’s the problem! I always do!” She exclaimed impatiently, wishing Nate would just hear her out for once. 

He was just about to protest and tell her that there was seriously nothing to get so worked up over, but she once again beat him to it.

“I love you, Nate. But I can’t…I can’t let myself think it’s okay for me to see you get exposed to danger all the time.”

“And what? I’m just going to quit my job for you?” 

“No! I’m not going to be that person. I’m not going to ask you to choose between something you love, or me,” Elena answered right away, knowing that what she was going to say next would either break his heart, or both of theirs. “And that’s why I think I need to step away. I don’t think…don’t think this relationship will work.” 

“What? You’re breaking up with me?” Stunned, Nate could only look at his beloved with widened eyes. The eerie silence that followed next only seemed to make matters worse. “Elena, please, you can’t do this.”

“I’m sorry. I just can’t keep lying to myself anymore. I care too much about you, hell, I love you! But I don’t want to get hurt, I don’t want to see you get hurt. Or worse.”

“I won’t!” He shouted defensively, but to no avail. Elena stood up from the battered couch they were just in previously, before the night turned to shit. She knew she needed to get away, she didn’t want to see his face when she eventually calls it quit. “Elena-” 

All the pleading and begging in this world would never change her mind. She had been contemplating it for a long while now, and only today did she finally gather up enough courage to be one hundred percent honest with him. She truly did love him, she believed that he was the one for her, but the circumstances they were in prevented her from staying. She was scared that one day, they’d find him dead in a ditch somewhere, and she wouldn’t have known about it until they’d bring his body back home. And she’ll never get closure, forever stuck in denial at the fact that the man she loved, left her without a word. It was better to leave before anything could happen. Even if she didn’t want to, even if she yearned to just stay with him. 

She wanted to grow old with him. She wanted to share the white picket fence life she’d always wanted with him. They’d have kids, and maybe a pet or two, and they’d live their best life, together, and forever. Reminiscing on their youthful days, of them travelling the world in search of fabled treasures, seated in their backyard as they had their evening tea. But with how they’re going, she couldn’t guarantee ever living this dream out with him. She knew it was a selfish thing to do, had she even considered what he wanted? Had she even thought about how, this job was his only lifeforce, the only happiness of his? But what’s done is done, and there was no going back.

That night, two beautiful souls that were once intertwined, broke apart. 

\- 

Nate was certain that the day she chose to leave him, to take the higher ground, made him who he is today. A moping, sad shell of the man he used to be. He wasn’t even excited to hear Charlie Cutter’s offer of investigating the Iram of the Pillars, and had requested for their journey to be pushed back until months later. Hopefully by then, he’d no longer feel like a worthless ghost transcending through time. 

Meanwhile, Elena chose to dive into work, busying herself so as not to let her mind wander to what she had destroy so mercilessly. Nothing hurt more than knowing she had ruin Nate, the guy she was so head over heels for. And it hurt more knowing she could’ve done something about it, but she’d let it escalate to the point that anything she said wouldn’t be enough. However, Elena tried to convince herself that her decision of leaving him was for the greater good. Everything she did, she did for his sake. He was her ‘because’, to every question of ‘why’. 

Life was slowly, but surely getting back on track for the both of them. Elena was given an opportunity to work on her next piece in Yemen, and she said ‘yes’ in seconds. She was eager to leave the States, eager to erase any trace of her broken heart. Nate was finally able to let bygones be bygones, and soon found himself on a plane to London, to meet up with Charlie and Chloe for their next adventure. There was an empty feeling in him, knowing that Elena was usually up for another one of their exciting trips, but this time, she was not around. Perhaps that was for the better. 

Eventually, both built up walls surrounding their most bruised and broken part of themselves: their heart. Nothing was going to ruin them again, not after what they had to go through. It was the worst breakup of his life, because it was Nate’s second time with her and he blew it. Every single time. Elena decided that she did not have time to chase the American dream of hers, it was now a long-forgotten aspiration. She chose to do what she loved the most: indulging in her work. 

But when Nate had come to Yemen, asking for her help in tracking down the lost city, the walls they had up slowly came crashing down. Third time’s the charm, after all.


End file.
